Heretofore, polycycloolefin polymers and methods for their preparation have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,002,815; 4,069,376; 4,110,528; 4,262,103; and 4,380,617, all assigned to BFGoodrich (Robert J. Minchak and co-workers).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,340 to Klosiewicz relates to a process for preparing a polydicyclopentadiene in the absence of a diluent and conducting the polymerization reaction in a mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,179 to Dewitt, Minchak, Lee, and Benedikt relates to impact modified polycycloolefins in which polyolefin powders such as polyethylene are dispersed in the cycloolefin monomer and then polymerized to obtain polycycloolefin polymer blends.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,178 to DeWitt, is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,179 but also incorporates elastomer therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,617 to Minchak, noted above, also relates to a catalyst system including an organoammonium molybdate or tungstate catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,502 to Minchak relates to a bulk polymerization method for polymerizing polycycloolefin monomers wherein an alkylaluminum halide catalyst contained an alkoxy group thereon to inhibit reducing power of the catalyst and hence to essentially eliminate any room temperature reaction.
The Oreshkin, et al article in the European Polymer Journal, 13 (1977) on pages 447-450, reports the use of silane compounds as cocatalysts with molybdenum and tungsten catalyst in ring opening polymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,344 to Newburg discloses that high conversions can be obtained by ring opening polymerization of dicyclopentadiene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst system and also in the presence of a halogen containing hydrocarbyl additive which contains at least one trihalogen substituted carbon atom or at least one activated halogen atom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,453 to Tom relates to a high impact strength homopolymer formed by the metathesis-catalyzed polymerization of dicyclopentadiene.